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Marine Le Pen Receives Support from Women in France

Marine Le Pen is leading in the pre-poll surveys for French presidential elections. New polls suggest that Le Pen is gaining popularity among female voters in France. Le Pen is divorced mother of three kids and she is slowing moving up in surveys as the best choice of French voters.

Political experts suggest that Le Pen has high chances of winning the first round but in the second round, she could face a defeat. However, investors are worried about chances of Le Pen even winning the second round of Presidential elections.

Women have generally played a small role in French elections compared to men. However, Le Pen could change that as her campaign is now concentrating on winning support from French women. In 2012, Le Pen was having support from 20 percent of male voters compared to 17 percent female voters.

Le Pen took a strong decision this week to cancel her meeting with a senior Muslim official in Beirut as she was asked to wear a headscarf. Le Pen is slowly gaining strength and her lead in the first round could continue well in the second round as well.

Nonna Mayer, a researcher at the Sciences Po institute in Paris said, “Women are the key. These women often abstain and now they are backing Le Pen to protect their jobs and their security.” Mayer has been tracking National Front for last 25 years.

Le Pen has pledged either major changes in EU rules regarding rights of member states or France moving out of European Union. Frexit is considered as a major risk by global investors. It could also mean more trouble for European leaders and might need lot of effort to keep European Union intact. European Union has faced questions after European leaders have not been able to deal with refugee crisis.